VICTORIA, BC - Head coach of the BC Elite Youth Sevens Shane Thompson has announced a series of ID Sessions as the program begins to build towards the 2014 Las Vegas International Youth Invitational in January.

A program geared towards developing young players for future international tournaments and the Olympic Games, the BCEY7s will look to build on a successful 2012-13 season where teams brought home two major trophies from Hong Kong and Victoria. The upcoming ID sessions will be held for U18 players (1996 & '97 birth years) as the BCEY7s program looks to reclaim the Las Vegas title from current holders USA High School All Americans.

ID Sessions in Victoria, Shawnigan Lake, Nanaimo, Surrey and Vancouver will be used by head coach Shane Thompson to identify the top players in their respective regions. Those who are recognized will then be invited to a final selection camp in early January.

"This is a new year and these ID Sessions will be the first step in selecting our players for the upcoming international tournaments," Thompson said. "For those who may have missed out last year, this will be a fresh start and a new opportunity for them to put their hands up for selection to the program. It's also a chance for new players to get noticed and identified ahead of their club seasons where we will be able to further scout them in game situations."

The 2012-13 season saw the debut of BCEY7s and BC Rugby Academy graduate Justin Douglas (Abbotsford, BC) on the International Rugby Board's Sevens World Series, a key objective for the provincial program's pathway. This past summer also saw several BCEY7s graduates selected for a senior men's national team camp where the players were then chosen to play on the Maple Leafs Squads, Canada's development men's development program.

"Those players are examples of how our program has been successful and it shows that we are able to give them the experience they need playing sevens rugby to make it to the next level," added Thompson. "I'm looking forward to identifying the next group of talented athletes this year and preparing them for future international competitions."

NOTE: Additional ID sessions will not be held outside of the five dates outlined below. All interested players will need to participate in at least one ID session to be selected for the Vegas invitational camp in January.